Draft-equalizer.



' J. H. KARLOFF.

DRAFT EQUALIZER. APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1912.

1,088,662. Patented Feb. 24, 19m- Ti lg Willa 0mm wLumnlA PLANDCIRAMIco., WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN H. KARLOFF, OF MEAD, NEBRASKA.

DRAFT-EQUALIZEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Application filed April 25, 1912. Serial No. 693,099.

[0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN H. Kaniiorr, acitizen of the United States, residing at Mead, in the county ofSaunders and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Draft-Equalizers, of which the following is aspecification.

As in all draft-equalizers,the main purpose to be accomplished is toprovide means whereby each of the draft animals, especially whenarranged abreast, may be 001 pelled to do its own equal share of thework, so in my invention it has been my object to devise a constructionwhich will perform this function in the simplest and most ellicientmanner.

Specifically, my invention embodies an equalizer bar having attachedthereto crossed flexible draft connections, or members, to the free endsof which are secured the draft devices and said ends being held inspread or spaced relation by means of a stationary spreader bar providedwith pulleys around which said members pass.

WVhile my device is especially adapted for use with gang or sulky plows,it will be evident that it is equally capable of adaptation to anyimplement where a plurality of animals are employed. i

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is who hadto the following description and, the accompanying drawings, in which---t Figure 1 is a top plan view of an equalizer constructed in accordancewith my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 22of Fig. 1.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings and specifically describing my invention, thenumerals 1 and 2 designate the forward ends of the parallel plow beamswith which the ordinary gang plow is provided, said beams beingconnected at their forward extremities by means of the transverse bar 3.At a suitable point in the rear of the bar 3 is a second transverse bar4-. movably secured to the beams 1 and 2 in any desired manner, such asby means of the clips 5, and pivotally mounted on the bar t is theequalizer bar 6. Said equalizer bar is preferably curved in the mannershown in the drawings and is pivoted nearer one end on the pivot 7, saidpivot being located at the point of curvature and in actual practiceapproximately fo-rming a long arm 6 of twice the length of the short arm6".

Attached to the extremities in any preferred manner are provided theflexible draft connections, or connecting members, 8, which may be rope,chain, or cable wire, as preferred. The connecting members 8 are crossedand pass around the pulleys 9 pivotally mounted at the oppositeextremities of the cross, or spreader, bar 10. The spreader bar 10aforesaid is somewhat longer than the equalizer bar 6 and is providedwith the strap irons 11 at each end, secured by means of bolts to saidbar 10 and bent upwardly at their free ends, through which the pivots ofthe pulleys pass, thus affordin strengthening means for said pulleys.Tile connecting members 8 pass between the pulleys 9 and the strap irons11 so that said members are effectively held in their proper positions.

The transverse bar 3 at the forward end of the beams is somewhat U-shapein cross section with the open portion toward the front of the implementand the spreader bar 10 is received in the U-shape bar and held inposition therein by means of the bolt 12. This particular mounting ofthe spreader bar holds said bar rigidly relative to the equalizer bar 6.A plurality of openings 13 in the bar 10 permit the same to be adjustedtransversely for purposes readily understood by those skilled in the artto which this in: vention appertains, namely, to provide means wherebyto increase or decrease the width of the furrow to be turned by theplows, as is accomplished in ordinary constructions by means of aclevis.

The mounting of the spreader bar 10 is such as to provide a long arm 10and a short arm 10 proportionate to the lengths of the arms 6 and 6 ofthe equalizer bar (3, both of the long arms of said bars being on thesame side, as clearly Shown in the drawing.

To the free end of the connecting member 8 which passes around thepulley 9 on the long arm 10, is attached the draft device, comprisingthe evener bar 14, to one extremity of which is attached the swingletree15, while to the opposite extremity is secured the doubletree 16 havingat its opposite extremities the swingletrees 17 and 18. It will thus beseen that three draft animals are attached to the equalizer on the sideof the long arms of the bars 6 and 10, while on the opposite side adoubletree 19 is attached to the connecting member 8, said doubletreelast mentioned having the swingletrees 20 and 21 secured to its oppositeends. On this side of the equalizer, therefore, two draft animals areadapted to be attached and by reason of the peculiar cooperation of therigid spreader bar 10 and pivotally mounted equalizer bar 6, each animalis compelled to bear its own share of the work of drawing the implement.

It will be obvious that the spreader bar holds the connecting members inspaced relation to each other and the fact that the equalizer bar iscurved prevents any likelihood of the latter from turning on its pivotinto such a position as to throw all of the work upon one side.

The equalizer bar my be easily adjusted forwardly or rearwardly,according to the distance desired between the said bar and the spreaderbar at the forward ends of the beams 1 and 2, and the openings 13 in thespreader bar permit a wide adjustment of the same, according to the workto be done. The flexible connections passing around the pulleys on thespreader bar obviously place most of the strain upon the shorter, orequalizer bar, which is advantageous because of the fact that it is lesslikely to be broken than if rigid connections between the two bars wereprovided, as has been done in previous devices of this nature.

It is apparent from the foregoing and the illustration in Fig. 1 thatthe U-shaped members 5 which are removably clamped ontothe beams 1 and 2are adapted for securing the cross bar 4 to said beams 1 and 2 at anydesirable point along the length of said beams, whereby the pivot 7 andlever 6 may be adjusted toward and away from the spreader bar 10 andthus vary the amount of cable 8 extending beyond the ends of thespreader bar. It will be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the artthat the greater the distance between the trees 14 and 19 and thespreader bar, the

. greater the opportunity for deflection of the cables with theresultant increase in pitch of the plows connected with the beams 1 and2. Hence if it is desired to increase the pitch of said plows the bar 4will be positioned nearer the free ends of the beams 1 and 2, so as togive an increased amount of cable between the spreader bar 10 and trees14: and 19, but if it is desired to decrease the pitch of; said plowsthe bar 4 will be positioned farther. t0 the rear, thus taking up theexcess of cables 8 and accordingly re' ducing the possible deflectionwith the consequent tendency to elevate the forward ends of the beams 1and 2 and the resultant decrease in the pitch of the plow. The variationin width of the furrow obtainable by adjustment of the spreader bar 10by means of the apertures 13, as above set forth, renders possibleadjustment as to width and depth of furrow in conjunction with theequalizing apparatus set forth herein, which adjustments are notobtainable in the usual types of equalizing apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a draft equalizer, the combination of a draft support comprisingspaced parallel beams, a U-shaped transverse bar connecting the outerends of said beams, a second transverse bar mounted on said beams inrear of the U-shaped bar aforesaid, clips connecting the end of the lastmentioned bar with the beams for adjustment of said bar longitudinallyof the beams, a curved equalizer bar pivoted nearer one end thereof tothe rear transverse bar, crossed flexible connecting members attached tothe ends of the equalizer bar, a spreader bar provided with a pluralityof openings therethrough and mounted in the U-shaped transverse baraforesaid whereby said spreader bar may be held rigidly at right anglesto the beams and adjusted transversely of the same, pulleys mounted onthe extremities of said spreader bar. and around which the said flexibleconnecting members aforesaid pass, and draft devices connected to thefree ends of the connecting members aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. KARLOFF. lVitnesses:

JOHN O. FRAHM, JOHN M. KoLB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patentn.

Waahingtomi). c."

